MILNET Opinion: A Clear and Present Danger to the U.S. Economy

MILNET Opinion

Giving Up On Middle East Democracy
8/05/2008

While I applaud efforts to democratize the Middle East, the reality may turn out to be that most Middle Eastern countries -- their governments and peoples -- really don't want democracy. Take for instance several nations which appear less chaotic then most. Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Egypt held elections in mid July of this year and if you look at the makeup of their Parliament, you get quite a shock.   The National Democratic Party was quite victories, taking some 330 seats in the People's Assembly or 73.9 per cent.

The other 26.1% is very telling however. The opposition and independent MPs were elected as follows: Muslim Brotherhood (86 MPs), Wafd Party (six MPs), Tagammu Party (one MP), Free Constitutional Party (two MPs), Ghad (one MP), Karama Party (two MPs) plus 18 non-affiliated independents.

The figure to gape at is the number of Muslim Brotherhood MPs. In a government that some might call a moderate Muslim government (remember we are comparing Egypt to Iran or Syria), there are 86 ministers who are members of the World's Leading Jihadist preaching organization and indeed, an organization outlawed in Saudi Arabia for its continued contribution to the Jihadists world round. It is also the organization that reared such luminaries as Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden, just to name a few of the dozens of Jihadist group leaders in the world it "graduated".

Yet, here is Egypt holding elections only to find these "politicians" in office. Can you imagine members of the Communist Party being elected to the U.S. Senate? While many in the U.S. Congress have radical and perhaps frightening ties to Socialist mentors, it is hard to imagine a Communist Party member being elected today. Or for that manner KKK or Black Panther member.

The point is that even a single election of a Jihadist in the Middle East might not be surprising, but a stable of 86?

This points out the problem. The electorate in Egypt clearly does not look upon Jihadists as bad people. Certainly one might look at their election as a sign that they are to be respected for their beliefs. That is hard to believe, but not a hard or even way out conclusion to draw.

In Saudi Arabia, they don't have anything close to a democratic election. Yet it is one of the most influential nations in the Middle East. It could be because of their huge oil reserves (oil is wealth and wealth is power in the Middle East), but some might simply conclude that Saudi Arabia is respected also because of the way it's leadership came to power -- through violent chaos of the Saud family and continued control over its people with a VERY strong hand. If you want a good picture of that control, take a look at the movie "The Kingdom". We are told this is a very adequate depiction of the royal family's control and "acceptance" of U.S. personnel there. A bit chilling, truly.

So again, the point to be made is that while we have boots on the ground in Iraq, and the Iraqi government is making some progress in ruling their newly freed nation, it is not clear at all that it will remain that way for any long period of time.

And Afghanistan is far worse today, with it's government facing violence escalating toward that of Iraq in 2006, early 2007.

The other point I'd like to make is that I've read a number of articles and Congressional speeches (and of course Presidential election rhetoric) that claims it is a losing battle and that we should call it quits.

The Big Difference

The defeatism that is rampant in political circles today is not just an election year artifact. It is a fundamentally inborn inability to carry through. It is an attitude of "well we tried for a few years, it's time to give up."   This is an attitude far different from mine. I believe the job before us is extremely difficult. Maybe impossible unless some things change. However, not to try to make a difference is THE DIFFERENCE.

To look at even positive changes as no reason to continue is just plain stupid. It is also a political tool in play. No matter what the Left sees, they want the American public to see it as a defeat rather than a good sign. They want us all to realize we should just stay home and use our money to pay for such important things as allowing ever increasing immigration so we can pay for the immigrant children in schools, let them destroy the financial structure of our hospitals and local government services. They want us to disengage in the world outside.   Participate with rhetoric and feed the hungry the world over, meanwhile letting the dictators, Jihadists and anti-Semitic forces take over. Let Russia be the world leader, they are our new friends, right?

That is the big difference -- the difference between engaging in the world and letting the world lead you around by the nose. The Left in this country, pushed further left by the radicals who find animals and trees more important than people, the radicals who think guns and war must be abolished today, not when the world allows them to be abolished, the peace at any cost nutcases, all want to ignore the real world. They want us to pacify the really ugly people in the world outside our nation's borders.

This is partially to do a large -- some say VERY large -- segment of the Left that finds America more ugly and dangerous than Iran, Syria, North Korea and the Sudan, just to name a few. They hate the Brits for backing us, and encouraged by European socialism that keeps NATO from helping us in Afghanistan where the Taliban and al-Qaeda are reconstituting themselves. NATO made a commitment to that effort and so far is only reluctantly keeping it, and certainly not in the numbers promised. This is not the first time the Euros have let us down militarily after half a century of us protecting their butts from the Soviets. And somehow, dare I link a connection between socialism in Europe and still ragingly Socialist and nearly still Communist Russia, the Euros think the Russians are their friends.

So it is no small wonder that Russia is complicit in stirring up things in an anti-democratic way in the Middle East and it is also no small wonder that the Suad family has no desire for democracy in the Middle East.

Let's simply call it like it is. If you want to be Israel's friend...let's call that the right side of road, and you want to be Iran's friend...let's call that the left side of the road, Standing there, looking around, you will find your friends lining up with you. Russian and many European countries appear to be sashaying left, and the U.S. and the U.K. will be found standing on the right. Not too many Arabian nations standing with us, and that's why we HAVE to try with Iraq and Afghanistan.

And while the Brits oscillate left of center quite often, even their Labour government managed to have an intelligent leader in former Prime Minister Blair. Not for long, I perceive, will the Labour government continue to fight the anti-war tide in the U.K.

So our expectations may not be great for the democratization of the Middle East, our hopes may be cautious. But unlike the cowards that populate a large portion of our nation and the world, WE ARE TRYING! We are taking the risks. That's what leadership is about and that is also what politicians rail against. This is especially true for those politicians standing over there on the left side of the road with the socialist Euros, the Middle East Jihadists and our new friends the Russians. Not a crowd I'd like to be friendly with.